Dating Days
by brightredcherries
Summary: After the Ark Cradle is destroyed, Yusei and the gang move on and go on their own paths. Just as Aki takes her path, it crosses someone else's very close to her. AkixYusei, CarlyxJack, etc.
1. Chapter 1

**So, I decided that even though 5D's has ended, I'm not letting it die away. I wanted to do something really sweet and romantic, rather than something bland and basic. So I hope you guys enjoy this! For those who haven't seen the end of 5D's, I just want to redirect you to YouTube or any other site with 5D's episodes so that you can watch it and not be offended by me giving away spoilers. That way, it won't be a spoiler because you already know what happened. Just as a warning some of this is AU-ish. There are parts that follow the series, and there are certain parts that don't. If you want the real stuff, go to Yu-Gi-Oh! Wikia. It has all the info you wanna know :)**

**Dating Days**

**Pairing: AkixYusei, CarlyxJack, etc.**

**Summary: After the Ark Cradle is destroyed, Yusei and the gang move on and go on their own paths. Just as Aki takes her path, it crosses someone else's very close to her.**

* * *

><p>Germany had been her temporary home for the last five years. Though she loved the atmosphere and grew accustomed to it, Aki felt it was time for a change in scenery. In a nice apartment building, just a little far from the public, she lied on her bed remembering five years back from that very day. She glanced at her calendar and noticed that it was April 10th. Five years ago to this day, was when Aki left for medical school. It hadn't been easy, seeing as how she had a hard time leaving her friends. It was weird to think that it had only been half a decade.<p>

_I can't believe it's been five years since I left. I still miss everyone back home, _Aki thought, sighing.

The Dark Signer battle skipped along her mind, and also the day that all the Signers met roamed around as well. It was hard to believe that time flew by so fast. Over the last few years, Aki made some new friends at her school, a few guys asked her out that she turned down, and now she could finally say she lived in another country. It was fun to go around and look at all the tourist attractions in Germany. She loved learning about the new culture and customs. The biggest news she had was that she was almost done with medical school. Her professors noticed how remarkably intelligent Aki was. She surprisingly excelled and tested out some of her pre-requisite and advanced classes, and ended up doing her medical internship early. Her professors have even said that she may be the youngest doctor that they've had the privilege to teach. Now that she was nearly complete with her internship, she was ready to head back home and begin practicing medicine.

While she looked out the window of her bedroom, one person in particular crossed her mind. Her savior, her light, her best friend, and her long time love, Yusei Fudo. She had kept in close contact with the Twins and Crow, but not so much Yusei and Jack. She expected Jack not to keep in touch, but not Yusei. She figured that he was working on Neo Domino's momentum, even though he said it was completed a while back. She knew that he always liked to tweak things to make sure they were perfect.

_It'll be good to go back. Plus, I've gotten three job offers in Neo Domino. I've ran my course in Germany...now it's time to get back and be my own woman, _Aki thought, looking at her calendar again. There were only two and a half weeks until her internship was over, and the day she would take her flight back home.

xxxx

Around four o' clock in the afternoon, Carly was waiting in Yukishata Park further in the city. She was wearing a casual, creme colored pea coat on with dark skinny jeans, contacts, and red platform pumps. She looked on her phone and noticed that he was fifteen minutes late. He was cutting into her lunch break and if she didn't make it back to the office in time, Mokoto would have her head.

_I wish he wouldn't do this to me. I told him I had to be back for my meeting, _Carly thought, sighing a little bit. Just as she was about to grab her purse, someone's giant hands covered her eyes.

"Guess who?" Jack Atlas' voice questioned, making Carly turn around. The two of them had been dating for the last two and a half years. For Carly it was weird. One day she had off from work, he showed up on her door step with a bouquet of flowers and more than ten kisses for her. Apparently, the first thing he wanted to do after finally becoming King was to start a relationship with her.

"I'm aware of who you are. I just remembered this same man saying that he didn't have time for a woman five years ago." Carly snided, playing into his flirty banter.

"Yeah, but this same man never thought that he'd end up wrong, and actually falling in love with a beautiful woman." Jack responded, sweeping her into a kiss.

"Will you stop it? It's bad enough you're going to make me late, but it's even worse that you want to make out in public." Carly giggled, accepting his embrace.

"I can't help it that you're so attractive. I'm sorry that I came late." He apologized, caressing her cheek.

"Its fine, but I just hope that I can make it in time." Carly sighed, looking at her watch.

"Tell you what, since I came late, how about I take you out for dinner?" Jack suggested, making Carly smile.

"I'd love that. Thank you." Carly told him, cheerfully, "Oh...I have to get going."

"I understand. I'll call you." He responded, hugging her again.

"Mmm, love you." Carly said, kissing his cheek, while leaving a lipstick mark.

_It's funny how that woman manages to be so magnetizing, _Jack thought, sitting on the bench for a little while longer.

xxxx

"Come on, Rua, or we're going to miss our flight!" Ruka sighed, waiting for her twin in the living room with her luggage.

"I'm done, Ruka. You don't have to rush." Rua grumbled, walking downstairs with his luggage in hand.

"Well, I don't want to miss our flight...like last time." Ruka mentioned, grabbing the car keys.

"You promised not to talk about that anymore!" Rua shouted, as they walked into the garage, "And why do you get to drive?"

"Because I'm the only one out of the two of us that Mom and Dad trust to drive, and get to our destination safely." Ruka replied, popping the trunk.

"I'm not a bad driver. I can drive my D-Wheel without a problem." Rua challenged, putting his and his sisters' luggage in the trunk.

"That's completely different, and on top of that you drive that thing way too fast." Ruka said, hopping into the driver's seat.

"Uhh, that's what a D-Wheel was meant for...and for me to become a world champ!" Rua boasted, clicking his seatbelt while Ruka pulled out of the driveway, "It's good to be moving back to Neo Domino City."

"Yeah, I just wish Mom and Dad would have let us know ahead of time, so that I wouldn't literally have to throw my belongings in boxes and only have seventy-two hours to do it. I have valuables that can't be ruined." Ruka responded, heading down the highway.

"Okay, your makeup and shoes don't count as valuables." Rua commented, rolling his eyes at his twin.

"In a girl's life, yes, shoes are considered valuables. Especially if you just bought the cutest pair of black suede platform pumps." Ruka giggled, feeling giddy about her recent trip to the mall before packing.

"I thank God everyday that I'm not a girl." Rua muttered, enjoying what was left of the two hour car drive to the airport.

* * *

><p>In the cozy little quarters of his three year old apartment in Tops, Yusei Fudo spent his Thursday afternoon doing what he never had time to do during the week. He spent most of the day paying bills, cleaning, organizing his living room, and anything else to keep himself occupied. He'd also been thinking about the last five years. He knew that today marked five years since everyone went their separate ways and pursued their dreams. Through most of the time, loneliness always came to him in the oddest ways. Though he was somewhat used to it, it still managed to bother him. He did keep in contact with Ruka and Rua a lot, and he would also hear from Crow on occasion, but he never heard from Aki or Jack. He expected to not really hear from Jack, but not so much Aki.<p>

Yusei figured that she was busy with medical school and everything, but out of everyone, he missed her the most and she was on his mind lately. He remembered their last encounter like it was yesterday. The way he looked into her eyes, as she looked into his. He remembered the feeling of her soft hands in between his. What bothered him the most that night, was the one thing she wanted to confess to him...but never managed to get it out, and changed her mind...

_"Yusei...I've always lov...," Her bell like voice stammered, cutting herself off._

_Maybe what she said wasn't completely true. I have a feeling I knew what she was going to say. I just wish she would have, _He thought, paying the last of his bills. In the corner of his screen he noticed that he was getting an iChat message from Ruka.

"Hi, Yusei!" Ruka greeted, happily waving at the webcam.

"_Hey, Ruka, Rua. Where are you guys?_" Yusei asked, smiling.

"We're on a plane. I'm taking advantage of the Wi-Fi." Ruka responded, cheerfully, "I know this is kind of last minute for good news, but Rua and I are moving back to Neo Domino!"

"_Wow, really? That's great! What made your parents change their minds?_" Yusei questioned, drinking some of his water.

"Well, they really missed home, because we grew up there and Neo Domino is where they started our family." Ruka explained, plainly, "But that's really all the good news...oh, and I'm getting a puppy when we get there."

"Anyway, outside of my sister's conceitedness, how have you been, Yusei?" Rua asked, as his head came into view of the webcam.

"_Eh, you know me; I've been occupied with a lot of things_." Yusei replied, shrugging.

"Have you gotten a girlfriend yet? You need to start dating." Rua said, receiving a hit from Ruka.

"_I never really thought about dating...there just haven't been a lot of things on my mind_." Yusei explained, blushing from Rua's bold statement.

"Well, we're going to go, Yusei. Our plane isn't going to land until later on tonight, so I'm going to sleep until then." Ruka added, yawning.

"_Okay, I'll talk to you soon._" Yusei muttered, cutting his iChat off. As he shut his Macbook, he thought more about what Rua said. He would get a girlfriend, but there was only one woman that ever attracted him...and she was gone.

_Maybe our paths will cross one day, _He thought, lying on the couch and staring at the ceiling in thought.

xxxx

"To Aki, for being a pleasure to have in our residency." Dr. Austerlitz said, holding up a glass of champagne.

Out of the kindness of everyone's heart, everyone in her internship group threw her a going away party since she was done with her internship at the hospital. She was finally certified to be a doctor. As everyone began to chat and mingle, Aki thought about how she was going home early tomorrow morning. She hadn't really told anyone except her family and Ruka and Rua. It was funny when she told Ruka that she was coming back to Neo Domino, seeing as how Ruka surprised her with the news that their plane just landed in Neo Domino and that they moved back.

_It's great that everything's coming together. I knew that we'd all eventually meet again one day, _Aki thought, sipping on her glass of champagne. As she went deeper into her thoughts, she stumbled across a particular male that still made her go crazy every time she heard his name. It had been quite obvious that she had been in love with Yusei since the day they dueled in the hospital, once she reconciled with her parents, but unfortunately, she was too scared to tell him the day she left, though she had a feeling he knew what she was going to say when she cut herself off.

_Why couldn't I just tell him? I mean, for all I know now, he could be dating Sherry or some other pretty girl..., _Aki thought, sadly, _Well, even if worse comes to worse, I still have to try...and now I know my first destination when I get back to Neo Domino._

xxxx

"Well, home sweet home." Rua said, shutting the lights on to their new house.

"Wow, Mom and Dad did a nice job finding a house. It's stunning!" Ruka gasped, looking around the foyer. It reminded her of a white marble palace.

"Oh, great! They already moved in the furniture and everything. Less work for me to do." Rua chirped, making his sister roll her eyes.

"You know we still have to unpack your room, right?" Ruka told him, making his happy face fall.

"Way to kill my mood, sis." Rua grumbled, as Ruka giggled.

"I'm sorry that you're too lazy to do anything," Ruka laughed, as she walked upstairs, "Let's go find our rooms. Oh! I have to start planning a house warming party!"

"Yeah, that's great. We can invite everyone over. It'll be just like old times." Rua mentioned, following her upstairs, "I wonder what room is mine."

"Well, I know this one is mine. I have the perfect view of the city." Ruka told him, setting her purse down on the floor.

"I'll be in my room unpacking if you need me." Rua chuckled, shutting Ruka's door on the way out.

xxxx

"Aki! My baby's home!" Aki heard her exhilarating, loving mother voice. A voice that she had only heard over a telephone. She regarded her telephone as a very detached way of communicating with her parents. Nevertheless, she was grateful to have had enough time to speak with them.

"Hi Mama, Papa." She greeted, as she was enveloped into her mother's arms.

"Dear, give her a break. She's probably quite tired." The senator reminded his wife, smiling with a mild sense of amusement.

After her father aided her in carrying her luggage upstairs, Aki took a chance to digest into her mind the scenery of her home. There was nothing that looked distorted around the hallway. The same paintings that hung gracefully on the pastel colored walls remained where they were, just as they did five years ago.

"Nothing's really changed, has it?" Aki asked, glancing at her father.

He smiled in response to his daughter's innocent curiosity, "No, it hasn't. The only thing that's changing is that your mother and I are renewing our vows."

"Wow, really? That's great, Papa!" She chirped, as a smile crept upon her lips.

"Your mother had a feeling you'd react that way." Hideo mentioned, smiling as well, "I'll leave you to unpack."

As she started opening her suitcases and take out things that were folded inside, Aki thought more about Yusei. Now that she was home, she thought of the possibilities that could occupy her evening. She could visit the Twins at their new house, or visit some old friends from Duel Academia, but there was one idea that seemed really appealing to her. It involved at tall, handsome, twenty-five year old who was currently the director of the Momentum research.

_It wouldn't hurt to just stop by and say hello. I mean, he's done a lot more for me than I can repay him, _Aki thought, picking up the scrapbook she had started making while she was in Germany. It still had all her pictures from when she used to hang out with Yusei and the others, the World Grand Prix, graduation, and her grad party. Finally deciding on what she would do, she picked up her phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, Hatsune! Listen, I need you to do me a favor." Aki said, as she continued to explain things.

* * *

><p>"RUA ANSWER THE PHONE!" Ruka shouted, while she finished peeling the last of the painting tape from her wall.<p>

She spent the last hour peeling the tape around her room that protected certain parts of the wall and electrical outlets from getting paint all over them. For the last few days, she went shopping for the house-warming party and sent out messages to her family and friends. On top of that, she had to let the paint in her room dry. The final product of her hard work really paid off. Her room was a deep raspberry color with black and white furniture, and a matching deep raspberry bed set. She had mini chandelier in the middle of the ceiling with paisley designs on the glass that surrounded the light bulbs. On the walls were framed pictures of some of the photography and paintings that Ruka made. The huge rug in her room was the same deep raspberry. Her bookshelf was white with deep raspberry flowers decorated along the sides. On the wall adjacent from her bed, there was a huge window that had a view of their huge backyard.

"Sis, it was Crow. He says he's coming." Rua told her, looking around her room, "Wow, you did good."

"Yeah, it took a lot, but I did it. Now time for more party planning. You know, it's going to be weird to see everyone after so long. I wonder if everyone will be the same or different." Ruka explained, as they both descended the stairs.

"I'm pretty sure everyone's changed, to some extent, even we have. I'm more laid back and mellow. You...well, you're even more girly than you were before." Rua responded, trying to be nice about his sister's girly habits.

"Rua, for the last time, I'm acting like a woman should. Just because I have proper etiquette and manners doesn't mean that's a drastic change." Ruka told him, grabbing an apple from the fruit dish.

"Fair enough. You know, it was weird when Yusei was being all skeptical when we were talking to him on the plane...you know, when I asked if he had a girlfriend." Rua mentioned, changing the subject.

Ruka gave her brother a curious glance as he relaxed onto the living room couch, "Well, maybe that's really personal for him. Yusei was never the type to divulge touchy information like that."

"I guess. I mean, I wasn't trying to be mean with what I told him. It's just that well, most people are married around twenty-five or older...and I feel kind of bad that Yusei's alone." His elaborate response shocked Ruka. Though the boy could act dense when he wanted to, Ruka knew that he was showing genuine concern.

"Yeah, I know how you feel, but Yusei is an adult. Maybe he does want a relationship, maybe he doesn't. No matter what the circumstance, we're his friends and we always will be. Maybe he just needs to find the right girl." Ruka said, grabbing a Cosmo magazine off the coffee table, while trying to enjoy the rest of her day.

xxxx

_Well, this is the address. I guess it's now or never, _Aki thought, walking into the apartment building. In the lobby, it looked elegant. The top of the front desk was made of marble, with all types of wealthy people walking in and out of the building. Some people were conducting small, business meetings in one of the areas with the couch and loveseats, while enjoying tea and coffee.

After looking around for a bit, Aki spotted the elevator. She quickly got into the elevator, without having to ask someone to hold it for her. According to Hatsune, he lived on the ninth floor the third apartment to the left of the elevator. Regardless of the fact that they were close friends, she remained apprehensive about seeing Yusei. She hadn't seen the man in five years, and now she was popping up at this apartment. Would he look different? Sound different? Behave in a different way than they did when she was still a teenager? All this was an onslaught of mixed, uncontrollable emotions.

A simple ding was all it took to snap her out of her deep rooted thoughts. After getting off the elevator, she shortly approached the front of his door. 915 was his number.

_Deep breaths, Aki, breathe._ After letting her hand nervously shake, she pressed the creme doorbell. Memories started flowing through her like the ocean's tides, all slapping her hard in the face. She fell into another faint daze.

Before she knew it, the door opened to reveal the man her eyes had been deprived from looking at for half a decade. The same man that captivated her the day they first met, and many times before. But above all, he was the same person that she almost confessed her love to.

"A-Aki?" He asked, getting a good look at her. Dressed in a white blazer and a black, floral printed dress, with her magenta locks flowing to her chest, there she was standing in the flesh.

She couldn't help but let her pale pink lips form into a smile, "Yeah, I'm back."

His arms wrapped around her as if he were lunging for a gift, "Oh my God. I can't...believe you're here. I thought, you know...,"

She slightly giggled at his loss of words, "I finished early, so I came back home. I feel bad; I should have called before I came here."

"No, really it's okay. It's just...wow, you're here." He sighed, inviting her in.

"Life's been treating you well, I presume?" Aki inquired, looking around his plush, but comfortable looking apartment. It was spacious, even for just himself.

"It's decent. It gets lonely sometimes. What about you? How was Germany?" He asked, as they both sat on the couch.

She slowly slid her feet out of her nude pumps, while she collected her thoughts, "Oh, it was great! I mean, I really enjoyed the different culture. At first, the food kind of tasted a little weird, but you get used to it. Maybe I'll take you someday."

As she described in better detail what she actually studied abroad, he couldn't resist observing her. She had always been such a beautiful woman, but there was something different about her. Her face glowed when she smiled and laughed. Her voice held more life and vibrancy when she talked. The thought of staring at her all day seemed appealing, but at the same token, he didn't want to seem like a lovesick fool.

"Come on, you're holding out on me here. I want to know what you've been doing. I really can't stand talking about myself without hearing someone else. What have you been up to?" She questioned, leaning her cheek against her hand. Her amber eyes peaked with curiosity.

He chuckled at her child-like face, "Nothing really. Everything with the research has been going smoothly."

"So...you're not getting anymore offers for any leagues?" Aki wondered, as her eyes glanced at the coffee table.

"Yeah. I still have since before everyone left." He replied, plainly.

She was silent, while still not being able to meet his eyes, "These leagues must really want you, to still be giving you offers for five years. But I still wonder, have you...considered any of them?"

"For a short time, I did think about it, but I'm not sure. It's just that I feel like I can contribute much more by working on the Momentum project." He mentioned, sighing.

"Just do what you always do, follow your heart. Dueling will always be a part of you." Aki told him, giving him a warm smile, "Well, I should get going. I have to get ready for interviews and such."

"No, of course. It was really great to see you...after so long." Yusei said, wrapping her into his arms. He felt a bit melancholy. A deep, ceaseless dejection sprouted within him.

"I'll see you later." She responded, before heading back to the elevator. Again, Yusei went back to coping with being lonely.

* * *

><p><strong>Again, I really hate writing the first chapters to any story, since it takes the longest to edit and re-read, but in the end, it's all worth it. Anyway, I'm off to work on more updates and what not. Until then, have fun reading!<strong>

**Cherriez**

**P.S. Here's a brief summary of the next chapter...**

**Next time: Ruka and Rua are getting ready for everyone to come to their house for their get together. How will things go? Will there be shocking changes? In the mean time, Aki is questioning her relationship with Yusei, and if things will ever become more than just friends. What will become of their relationship? **


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I'm really happy with the positive feedback for the first chapter! I'm actually going to update this a couple more times before I go back to school, and then I have to hit the ground running. But anyway, I appreciate the reviews and feedback guys!**

* * *

><p>After eating breakfast and showering, Aki picked out a flawless, but comfortable outfit for house hunting; a classy navy and creme, strapless romper, with a sterling silver necklace, and her matching creme Louboutin heels. A few weeks went by since she's been back in Neo Domino, but Aki felt that her path was cruising right along in a positive way. She landed a job at Neo Domino Hospital, starting just a mere four days ago. Though she insisted that they didn't, Aki's parents were being generous enough to put the down payment on her new house. She knew that it wasn't that her parents didn't want to see her, and it was that they wanted her to be happy, and not have to be cooped up with her parents for the rest of her life.<p>

_At least they bothered to be thoughtful, _She thought, fixing her fresh, loose curls. Her level excitement grew by the minute after she sprayed a bit of perfume. Looking around her now empty bedroom, just the emptiness and bareness made her reminisce. She remembered when the room used to be decorated in fairies, horses, and stuffed duel monsters plushies. Eventually, it phased into posters of famous duelists and paintings of assorted plants. Yes, the objects were now gone, but the memories and marks she left in her room would always be there. Smiling to herself, she blew a kiss into her palm and gently ran her hand along the door frame before walking downstairs.

xxx

"Really, Ruka? A housewarming party?" Yusei asked, not exactly sure how he felt at the moment.

The turquoise-haired girl smacked her lips with impatience, "_Yes, Yusei. It'll give everyone a chance to see each other in person. It's been five years since I've seen all of you, and this would mean a lot if everyone could come. Crow already agreed to come_."

"And he's the only one who's agreed, right?" He asked, raising a brow.

"_Yes. Would you please come? It would mean so much to Rua and I._" She pleaded, giving him her puppy dog face.

_Damnit, I hate when she does that, _He growled to himself slightly, "Fine, I'll come. Just promise, no more puppy dog eyes."

"_Well, if you would have cooperated earlier, I wouldn't have to use them, now would I?_" She questioned, before smirking with satisfaction, "_Well, I have to go, I have a party to finish planning._"

"Yeah, you do that." He smiled, just before cutting his chat off. In actuality, he believed the whole concept of the party was a well thought out idea. Though he normally didn't like parties too much, but he didn't mind seeing everyone again. However, he was a bit nervous to see how everyone would be. Would everyone be too different from before? What changes have occurred in their lives? He could only wonder.

Not having anything better to do, he logged into his Twitter, to see if there was anything worth reading. Most of the tweets were from fans, others from Ruka, Rua, and Crow. One tweet managed to catch his interest. One that was from a magenta haired beauty.

_House hunting with mama dearest and Carly :) #househunter_

_Hmmm, interesting, _He thought, shutting his laptop. While looking around his clean home, again, he felt emptiness, except now it aggravated him more than ever. For some reason, when he was with Aki, there was a sense of being whole, as if something out of his life was missing. The melancholy was no longer an issue when she was with him.

_God, I'm in love with her...I mean, I guess I always have for a while, but if I would have told her then, I would have felt terrible if she didn't go follow her dream, _He sighed, before deciding to plop himself on the couch, to take a well deserved nap.

* * *

><p>While finishing her registration for her fall semester at Tanabe University, Ruka was also waiting for her package of recipe books to come in the mail. She had a lot of peace and quiet, since Rua was out with Tenpei. At the moment, she spent the last ten minutes trying to determinte what kind of Italian food she was going to make for her party. All her dishes were going to be compliments of recipe book by her favorite chef, Giada De Laurentiis. Just yesterday, she received her parents brand new cutlery set and was ready to go. Once Rua returned from wherever he was, they planned on doing some grocery shopping for their parents. They were returning in five days from England, once they sorted out stuff with the realtor.<p>

She had to admit, she was quite excited that everyone was getting back together, and it would be at their new house. The only person who had yet to reply to her invite was, of course, Jack. She kept her fingers crossed that he would eventually come around. Carly informed her that he was still touring in Italy, and didn't know when he would be returning. While she continued to online shop, she heard the doorbell ring.

"Oh, goodie, my package!" She chirped, scurrying towards the front door.

"Thanks for opening the door, sis. Oh, here's the package." Rua told her, as him and Tenpei walked in.

"Okay, so are you still going with me to grocery shop? I can't push two grocery carts." Ruka mentioned, sliding into her black, Steve Madden booties.

"Uh, yeah sure. We'll go with." Rua responded, getting up from the couch, "I was just starting to get cozy."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go." Ruka muttered, grabbing her purse and car keys.

Rua rolled his eyes, just before glancing at Tenpei, who was occupied gawking at his sister, "Dude, is there ever a minute you're not gawking at my baby sister?"

"I'm sorry. She's just so...those legs...I mean, look, I'm not gonna describe what your sister looks like to you. You'll kill me." Tenpei growled, rolling his eyes.

"Hell, you can do what you want dude...I stopped caring about who Ruka dates. She has high standards, and to me any guy I could think of wouldn't be an option. She's into those nerdy types, kind of like you." Rua explained, as they casually walked out to the car.

"Okay, just because I express my intelligence and get involved in academic clubs doesn't make me a nerd or any less of a man. Plus, based on what you've told me, it sounds like I have a chance with her." Tenpei said, as he got into the passenger seat.

"Ready to go?" Ruka asked, looking at Tenpei.

A blush began to grace his cheeks before he could utter anything, "Y-yeah."

_Even though he's my best friend, he's hopeless when it comes to girls, _Rua sighed, smiling at this sad, but true thought.

xxx

After looking at two houses in Tops, Aki and the others moved onto another. Carly had been using Aki's HD video camera to document her house hunting experience. After pulling into a complex called Pinewood Grove, they pulled up to another three story house. It was a wide, white townhouse with a lot of glass windows and a cute porch swing, along with a beautiful rose bushes and flowers. From the outside, you could see the mini balcony on the top right hand corner. There were midsized steps leading up to front door and mailbox.

"Here's one of my favorites. It's one of those timeless townhouses that never go out of style. Let's take a look on the inside." The realtor chirped, opening the door.

"This house is way nicer than mine." Carly told her, looking around the exterior.

"Here to the left we have the living room, with a fireplace dead center. Over here, we have the kitchen. The counters are made of marble. It goes really well with the black and white theme in here. Any changes are at your discretion." The realtor explained, in her too perky voice.

Aki grew to be quite bored. She was really wondering how much the down payment would be. All the other ones she would have loved to have, but she and her mother agreed on a certain budget for the down payment. In her mind, she would definitely want this townhouse, only if the money down was what satisfied her.

"Here's the master bedroom, with the master bath. The counter in the bathroom is made of marble...," The realtor said, before Aki tore her attention away from her phone.

"How much is the down payment?" Aki asked, knowing that she threw the realtor off guard. Though they were almost finished touring the house, Aki was exhausted from listening to the realtor talk for what seemed like endless hours.

"Oh uh, it's a twenty three thousand down." The realtor responded, awkwardly.

Aki looked around for a little bit and decided this was the house. It was beautiful and it fit her needs perfectly, "I'll take it."

"Great! I'll go get the contracts and we can get everything sorted out." She said, heading out to retrieve her briefcase.

"Are you sure this is what you want, honey?" Setsuko asked, once the realtor was nowhere in sight.

"Yes, Mama. It's perfect." Aki smiled, going back to her phone, _Today's already becoming a great day!_

* * *

><p>Friday night. After a week of working, running erands, and paying bills, Friday night was time to play hard, kick back and relax. For Ruka, it was the evening of her get together with everyone. Outside of going to her biology class, she spent all day preparing for the evening's festivities. After setting all the food and homemade beverages out on the table, Ruka spent the remaining time making sure the house looked attractive, no thanks to Rua. Once everything was dusted and shiny, Ruka checked her appearance in the mirror that hung neatly in the hallway. Her hair was completely straight, with her bangs swept back by her black headband with a cheetah print bow on it, to go with her black mini dress and cheetah print heels.<p>

As Rua descended the stairs, he noticed out of the corner of his eye how much his sister changed dramatically over the last five years. He always knew that she was girly, but now it was on another level. Ruka started to mature greatly after they moved to London a few years back. Ever since she got to meet the Queen for her humanitarian work, she started to improve her appearance even more. She developed into a intelligent, charming, gracious young woman. Not that he'd ever tell her, but he was proud of his baby sister.

_Where have the years gone? _He thought, before speaking up, "Ruka, really, you look fine. I mean, you actually took a week to pick out an outfit just for one night."

She playfully rolled her eyes at her older sibling, "I'm sorry. I'm just...worried. I'm curious to see just how everyone's lives have changed. I know how ours has been altered with time, but I don't know how theirs will have transformed."

"I understand. Trust me, sis, it'll be like old times. Just think of it as shopping. Though you sometimes get rid of stuff, you make additions and alterations to it so that you can enhance your wardrobe." Rua explained, in terms that he knew Ruka would be able to understand.

Ruka giggled at her brother using shopping as a method of explanation, "I get it, Rua. Now, can you help me set the table? You know, since you failed to help with anything else."

"Sure." He chuckled, playfully nudging her in the stomach.

"Stop, you know I'm ticklish." Ruka whined, hitting him in the arm.

xxxx

Back at her hotel, Aki was occupied putting the finishing touches to her makeup for the evening. Makeup acted as painting to Aki. It acted as a collection of liquids, powders, and creams to play around with. It could alter your appearance in any way you wanted it to, but still manage to have who you really are seep through the layers. Though she had significant amount of it, she enjoyed using it to an extent. For fun, she imagined herself as a pretty clown without the red nose and lips. After lightly patting on her peach colored lipstick, Aki stuck her compact and lipstick into her purse.

While looking at herself in the mirror, her thoughts roamed onto focus on a spiky haired male. She legitimately started question her relationship with him. Since she went to visit him a few weeks ago, the night before she left kept replaying in her head. How she almost confessed that she loved him, him looking into her eyes, the touch of his huge hands embracing her delicate, feather like ones. The last thing she remembered was their almost kiss. To this day, she continued to long for his lips to embrace hers forever with passion and endless love. To hear him say those three words in her sensitive ears. Though her fantasises seemed like delightful, she remained unsure of his feelings towards her. Would they forever go about being in a platonic relationship? Always insisting that their feelings were nothing more?

_I know that deep down to my hearts core, I want to be with him. I've..fallen in love with him, _She thought, sighing. After grabbing her beige trenchcoat and car keys, she shut the room to her suite and headed off.

xxxx

"Oh my God, hi! I'm so glad you came!" Ruka chirped, embracing her flamed haired friend.

"Damn, Ruka. Looks like I'm gonna have to knock the perverted bastards off of you with a bat. I can't believe how much you've grown up, kid." Crow told her, looking at her mature stature.

"I'll take that as a compliment. It's been so long, and I've missed your humor." Ruka smiled, taking his coat.

"How's the dueling my man?" Crow asked, giving Rua a man hug.

"Eh, it's decent. Trying to get on a better team at the moment." Rua responded, casually.

"Geez, your house is fucking awesome. I'd give away my apartment any day for this." Crow said, looking around the foyer.

"We like it too, even better than the house we lived in before we moved to London." Ruka agreed, hearing the doorbell again, "Yay, it's Aki!"

After opening the door, all the two males could hear was girlish squeals that were louder than any loud car alarm. Crow was surprised that he hadn't lost any of his hearing.

"Oh my God, you look amazing! And you have boobs!" Aki exclaimed, hugging Ruka happily.

"Yeah, C-cups to be exact, but you know who's looking?" Ruka asked, sarcastically as the two girls giggled.

Rua shook his head with shame, "Not only do I have to worry about who's looking at my baby sister's chest, but I also have to live with her girlyness."

"I'm in love with your dress. Red looks great on you. Is that Alexander McQueen?" Ruka questioned, observing her friend's red mini dress and long, curly magenta locks.

"It is actually. I got it in Germany before I came home." Aki explained, hanging up her coat.

"Sweet. Well, we can all eat right now if you want, or we can wait until Yusei and Jack get here." Ruka suggested, as they walked into the living room.

"Dude, I'm hungry now...I haven't had a decent home cooked meal in days." Crow responded, hearing his stomach growl.

"Will it kill you to wait? You're the same as ever." Aki laughed, trying to contain her laughter.

"It's not my fault. You try going days without a home cooked meal, and tell me how you feel." Crow said, making everyone laugh, "It's not funny!"

It wasn't long before everyone's attention went back to the doorbell, "I'll get it."

While Ruka skipped to the door, her doe like eyes found those of a familiar spikey haired friend, "Yay, Yusei, you came!"

He was a little thrown off by her hug, but gladly accepted it, "I told you I wouldn't miss this."

"Ah, nice seeing you, Yusei." Crow greeted, knuckle touching him.

"Same here. It's been a long time." Yusei smiled, happily. His eyes flickered over to Aki helping Rua with something in the other room. He couldn't help but stare. She was divine in all possible ways. Her red dress complimented her body shape and skin tone. He could feel the blood slowly rushing to his cheeks.

_God, she's beautiful, _He thought, snapping himself out of his trance.

"Oh, hey, Yusei. It's about time you showed up." Aki said, realizing he arrived. She noticed he was clad in his teal dress shirt, with the sleeves rolled up, and casual black slacks. She loved the fact that he left the top buttons of his shirt undone. The fact that she had a glimpse of his chiseled chest made her feel warm and mushy inside.

_He's really getting me going, _Aki thought, trying not to droll. She continued to imagine lustful pictures in her mind of him in nothing, in her brand new queen sized bed, doing delicious things to her.

"Well, since I know Jack isn't going to be here for a while, let's all go eat!" Ruka chirped, as everyone headed into the dining room.

While Rua and Crow walked ahead, Aki was left with Yusei. Butterflies began to flutter throughout her low abdomen from her jittery nerves.

"She's still the same, except not as shy as she used to be." Yusei deduced, walking slowly with her.

Aki smiled at his careful observation, "That's true, but people do change, and others remain close to their old selves. I know you have."

"Yeah, I guess that's just me. I noticed you're a bit different as well...and I like it." He told her, quietly.

As Aki tried to seat herself next to Crow, Ruka quickly sat in her chair. Aki didn't pay the sudden action much mind, and moved to sit next to Yusei. He politely pulled out her chair, and she muttered a thank you.

"Wow, sis, this looks great. You sure you didn't have any help?" Rua asked, as he passed the first dish around.

"Nope. I did this all myself and still had time to go to class today." Ruka replied, happily pouring herself homemade raspberry lemonade.

"You'd make any man happy, Ruka. They say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach." Crow said, chomping on some of the homemade ravioli.

Rua sent a glare at Crow before countering with a response, "I doubt that. She has too many standards for her 'dream' guy."

"There's nothing wrong in having standards. You wouldn't want your little sister to go off with some weirdo, would you?" Aki questioned, raising a brow.

"No, I wouldn't, but I wouldn't have to worry since her standards are higher than any skyscraper in Neo Domino." Rua muttered, slurping his linguine.

"Now that's not true. I truly apologize if I don't want any boyfriend of mine to be an incompetent, idiotic, unkempt failure." Ruka explained, sighing with a smile on her face.

"I'd never thought I'd see the day that Ruka started talking about boys. Now I'm convinced I'm getting old." Yusei joked, as everyone started bursting into hysterics.

She began grinning from ear to ear, "Awww, Yusei. You're not old. Jack is old...but not you."

"For the record, Jack Atlas can never be old. He just ages while keeping his dashing good looks." His voice said, as everyone turned around to the tall, blonde pro duelist. The former Signers noticed he was accompanied by the jet black haired beauty.

"Jack!" Ruka chirped, nearly knocking him over with his hug, "I'm so glad you came!"

He merely chuckled at the young girl's excitement, "I apologize for being late, but my duel carried on. Then my flight got delayed longer than it should have, but here I am in the flesh."

"Thanks, it means a lot to me." Ruka smiled, as he gently messed with her hair, "Carly, you're still looking great."

"Thanks! I use a good shampoo and conditioner." Carly snickered, as the two girls laughed at her dry joke.

"Heya, Jack! How's the leagues treating you?" Crow asked, happily.

Jack smirked, "Quite well, actually, but I rather not spend the entire talking about myself."

"Are you sure you're Jack Atlas? Because the Jack we know would _never _pass up the chance to talk about himself." Aki responded, sarcastically taking in a gasp as did everyone else.

"Ha ha, very funny. People can change you know." He grumbled, narrowing his eyes at her, "I assume you're back permanently?"

"Freshly hired at Neo Domino Hospital." Aki told him, smiling. She noticed that the blonde was quite shocked at her news.

"No worries, I had the same reaction. Even you have to admit she's quite young to be a doctor." Carly told him, squeezing his hand gently.

"Oh, I see why Jack's changed so much...cuz he's in looooovveee!" Rua laughed, trying not to choke on his lemonade.

"I see the dweeb hasn't changed. It's about time he hit puberty." Jack growled, making Rua go quiet with embarrassment.

"Am I the only one who's actually trying to eat right now?" Yusei interrupted, trying to change the subject.

Carly tore her eyes away from her boyfriend's face, "Well, I am hungry. I haven't eaten anything since this morning."

"Well, help yourself. It's all homemade by me." Ruka told them, as they all took their seats at the table. At that time, she couldn't have been more happier. Though everyone inevitably changed over the course of five years, there were certain things that would never change...and that was their bonds.

* * *

><p>"Oh, and then there was that Leo dude...wasn't he someone's son?" Rua asked, trying to calm his laughing down. After dinner everyone migrated into the family room and recalled all their cherished memories from five plus years back. Everything from the WRGP to the Z-ONE mishap. Though things weren't the best at those times, there were good times in between.<p>

"I don't think he was related to Martha." Aki responded, trying to remember the familiar name.

"He's Zora's son. I will admit, that kid was kind of weird. I mean, the way he was eyeballing Aki...," Yusei said, as his left eye started twitching. Aki seemed to notice the male's sudden irritation.

"What is with you getting jealous of Aki being around other men?" Carly inquired, completely throwing Yusei off guard.

_Yusei...jealous of other men? Why would he be jealous? And for the record, I'm not around that many men. The most men that I've been around is at college, _She thought, not understanding why the conversation suddenly focused on her.

Yusei tried to his best to hold his composure, "Aki's my friend...why wouldn't I be mad? I care about her well being as her friend, and I don't want some weird kid getting any ideas."

She couldn't comprehend why, but Aki felt like she'd been brutally wounded. The ache lingered on her heart. The word friend seemed to echo in her ears longer than it should. _Friend._ That was the only term of endearment that he would bestow upon her; that too familiar word she began to despise. It was then she became conscious of what truth stared her in the face. She was deeply in love with him. The only reason that explained her damaged heart. While no one was paying any mind, she grabbed her coat and purse; faintly leaving out the door. While walking to her car, she tried not to let the tears she'd been holding back fall, but the effort was futile as she began to sniffle before starting the engine.

xxxx

"Okay, whatever you say. Normally, guy friends don't get jealous of a girl unless-," Carly started, before Yusei interrupted her.

"We get your point, Carly." He responded, loud enough to emphasize his desire to move on.

"I felt a little bad for Leo actually. It was sad how he always tried to impress Zora, but ended up screwing up stuff." Ruka mentioned, propping her feet on the couch.

"I still wanna know though. Yusei, why _are_ you so worked up when Aki's around another guy? I mean, there have been occassions where I've seen you get pissed off." Rua explained, sitting up from his lying position on the floor.

"Since when did the conversation get back on me? I thought we were all recalling humorous memories." Yusei pointed out, messing with the pillow on the couch.

"The conversation got back to you because now we want to recall all your memories as to when you've gotten jealous over our red headed friend." Crow told him, holding in his laugh.

"Okay, what other time have I been jealous?" Yusei asked, rolling his eyes.

"That time Andore was flirting with Aki during registration." Ruka blurted, messing with her finger nails.

Jack chuckled, deciding that he would join in, "You were so pissed the entire before they left. At least Crow and I can tell when you're mad."

"Okay, I was not mad...I was just...irritated." Yusei told him, sighing.

"Then there was the time we all went out to eat before you went against Team Catastrophe. The waiter kept peaking and sending flirty looks at her." Rua added, while Crow let out a grunt.

"That was hands down the best one too. It was funny when he chucked the roll at the waiter's face and made him drop the tray he was carrying." Crow laughed, hiding his face into his arm.

"Okay, fine. So what if I don't like guys flirting with my friend? It's disgusting." Yusei said, pouting from all the counts of him being jealous.

"Speaking of her where did she go?" Carly questioned, looking around to realize she wasn't anywhere in sight.

Ruka checked her phone and noticed a text from Aki, "Oh, she text me that she has to be at work in the morning and it was getting late for her."

Carly had a deep feeling in her gut that the simple text wasn't the reason for her sudden departure.

* * *

><p><strong>Gosh, this chapter was long as crap! I think my hands started to cramp during the last little stretch, but I'm all fine and dandy. More updates will come soon in two weeks, once I'm done with my research paper for my gov class. Until then, enjoy this chapter and let your imagination roam free as to what the next one will bring!<strong>

**Well actually you don't. Here's another little blurb of what may happen in the next chapter: A week after the intimate get together takes place, Yusei hasn't heard much from Aki. Is she really busy with work or is she intentionally avoiding him? Love is in the air for Tenpei when he finally gets the courage to ask Ruka out on a date. Will this date be sweet or end on a sour note...or is someone plotting to ruin the said occassion? **

**See you all in two weeks and I love you all!**

**P.S. Anyone who is in really bad need of a beta reader, please feel free to PM me an tell me so. I'm going to attempt to beta read and do my research paper at the same time. If it begins to become a hassle I will let everyone know. But if not, then I'm in the good :) Don't forget to shoot me a PM. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Oh gosh, I'm so sorry guys. I've been dealing with a lot of family issues and what not over the last year or so and I'm so sorry that you've had to wait so long! I want to thank you guys for being so patient, so I'm just going to jump right into the story!**

* * *

><p>While looking at another patient's chart, Aki let out the twentieth sigh that day. Ever since the get together at the Twins' house, she felt really down about the fact that she was in love with someone who didn't seem to share the same feelings. It had been around three weeks since she last saw Yusei and the emotions were really beginning to build up. She went to visit Ruka at her house a few days ago, knowing that the young bluenette was going to get to the bottom of the situation.<p>

_"Sooooo, tell me why you stormed off the other day? I mean, I remember everyone having fun and what not...and then you disappeared. What happened, mi amore?" Ruka questioned, calmly._

_"I guess I got kind of...well, saddened by the fact that certain people only see me as a friend...but I feel something different for that friend." Aki felt a blush creeping to her cheeks. _

_Ruka giggled a little bit at the older woman's embarrassment. "You don't have to hide it, Aki. We all know that you and Yusei like each other. We're just waiting for you guys to actually hook up."_

_"I don't know. He apparently doesn't see me as anything but friends." Aki responded, still feeling down. _

_"Puh-lease! I don't believe that...nor does anyone else. I mean, all the times he got upset when other guys were around you, he makes it so obvious he likes you. I think that Jack and Crow will give him a push in the right direction." Ruka explained, holding Aki's hand between hers. _

_I just hope you're right, Ruka, _Aki thought, entering another patient's room. "Good afternoon, Ms. Nagasaki."

xXx

"Dude, I'm tellin ya, she was such a wild cat in bed! I mean, she gave me a run for my money!"

Yusei listened to Crow rant on and on about how he nailed a girl he met at a party last night. Even though everyone had went their separate ways to follow their dreams a few years back, the young scientist was beginning to see that things would never change with his best friend. He was the same Crow he was when he left.

"Is there anything else that you manage to do that goes outside the realm of nailing girls and dueling?" Yusei asked, curiously as he sipped his coffee.

"Hey! I donate to charity whenever I can and spend time with the kids Martha takes care of." He argued, crossing his arms.

Yusei couldn't help but smirk at his reaction. "You know I'm kidding. But really, you should try and settle down a bit. Partying gets boring after so long."

"What would you know about partying? And on top of that, I could say the same thing about you and Aki" Crow laughed, chilling on the couch.

"What about me and Aki?" Yusei raised a curious brow. How did the subject get from Crow being a player to him and Aki hooking up?

"Dude, you can't play me for a fool. Aki's got you hot and bothered! You guys need to hook up already and stop lying to yourselves." He chuckled, keeping himself from rolling on the ground with laughter.

Yusei would be lying if he thought that anything the flamed haired man wasn't true. Ever since Aki came home from Europe, she lingered in his mind quite frequently. Just the other day, he recalled being in a meeting about improving the Momentum project and began daydreaming about the magenta haired beauty and forgot his train of thought. Also, the previous night he had a rather vivid, naughty dream involving himself and the young doctor.

He sighed, looking out the window. "I'm not so sure anymore. I do have feelings for her, but something is still bothering me."

"What do you mean? Did something happen between you guys?" Crow couldn't help but think about all the possible dirty things Yusei might tell him.

"Well, before you guys left five years back, Aki came by the garage the night before. To make a long story short, I think she was about to tell me that she loved me...but she ended up holding it back and I don't know why." He explained, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Are you serious? I mean, dude, give me some deets!" Crow sounded a little too excited for Yusei's ears.

"There aren't any details...well, we did almost kiss...," Yusei started, nonchalantly.

Crow nearly choked on his coffee. "WHAAAAATTTT? Dude, you were about to bone her?"

Yusei's jaw nearly dropped. "No, I wasn't about to _bone_ her! The point I'm trying to make is that I'm not sure if she feels the same way about me anymore. She hasn't talked to me since we were at Ruka and Rua's house."

"Well, when we were talking about how you get jealous of other guys being around her, you did say that you guys were just friends." Crow murmured, shrugging.

"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings." Yusei admitted, plainly.

The ginger haired man put his kidding aside and cleared his throat. "What I suggest is that you go old school and ask her out on a date. I mean, the worst thing she could do is tell you no, right?"

"I'm not sure if I should thank you...or be offended." Yusei chuckled, shaking his head while letting up a satisfied smirk, "But I guess I could take her out...but I don't know where."

Crow rubbed his chin for a minute, recalling a faint memory. "I know girls like that romantic dinner shit...but Jack told me once that she's really into the orchestra. Try getting your hands on some tickets and take her out."

"Alright, I'll give it a shot." A smile finally appeared on Yusei's lips. He couldn't help but feel hopeful that his chance to be with Aki was still intact.

* * *

><p>For Ruka, her day at school was just about over. She had one more class to go before she went home for the day. Instead of shooting the breeze with her classmates, she decided to finish one of the three papers she had to complete by the following week. While she was working, she couldn't help but feel bad for Aki and Yusei. Because they were so unsure of their feelings for each other, both of them were getting hurt when the solution remained obvious.<p>

_Why can't they both just get over being skeptical and get together? I don't know how long we've all been bugging them to do it, _She thought, continuing to listen to the sounds of the keys on her laptop.

Though she was preoccupied with her thoughts, she had no idea that Tenpei spotted her while roaming the selections of books in the reference section. The young boy had been a friend of their family for years; however, he always had a crush on his best friend's sister and never had the courage to ask her out. He couldn't help but be fascinated by just the mere presence of her.

_Well, it's now or never..., _He slowly approached where she was sitting taking a few deep breaths. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh, hi, Tenpei! I thought your physics class was today?" Ruka smiled upon looking up at his face. She looked into his glassy auburn eyes that reflected the natural sunlight. Though he was always the nerdy and shy type, he really did grow into his looks. Ruka had to refrain herself from blushing.

"Apparently it was cancelled. Oh, I see you're starting that paper for English." He set his bag down and took a seat next to her.

Ruka's heart began to pick up a little bit. "Yeah...I only have one more class left, but I really wanted to get started on this paper."

"I'd be happy to proofread it for you...if you'd like." He offered, trying not to blush himself.

She readjusted her glasses, letting out a little giggle. "That's sweet of you, but I have this thing where I'm really OCD about proofreading any papers I work on."

"Understandable. Listen, I know this is kind of off topic...but..., ummm...would you like to go out somewhere Saturday night?" Tenpei finally let the words escape his lips, letting out a small sigh.

Ruka felt shocked to say the least, but gave him a genuine, warm smile. "Tenpei, I would love to go out with you."

"Wow..., ummm, great! We can...ummm-" He stammered, just before she brought a finger to his lips.

"I really have wanted to see that new exhibit at the art museum. I'll see you Saturday." Ruka gently rubbed his shoulder before collecting her things and heading to class.

_I finally have a date...question is, what do I do from now until Saturday? _The young boy couldn't help but wonder as he took his departure from the library.

xXx

While relaxing in their suburban home, Carly was awaiting her boyfriend to come home from his recent trip to the States. Though she accepted the fact that his job required him to travel the globe, it was still nice for her to be excited about his return. Earlier, she decided to curl her hair since she knew he loved it. At that moment, she was lying across the couch in the family room in a lavender nightie, watching _Pretty Little Liars_ reruns.

The brunette's mind wandered back to her boyfriend. Jack Atlas, the King of Riding Duels. After he left five years ago to reclaim his title, she never expected him to come back; especially not to her. He made it clear then that he had no interest in having a relationship with her. It still amazed her that after traveling the world, he came back to her three years later wanting to be with no one but her.

_It's amazing what time will do for people, _She thought, messing with a strand of her hair. A few seconds, she could hear the small little jingle of her Bichon Frise puppy, Coco, running to the front door. Carly knew that could only mean that Jack was finally home from the airport.

"Coco." She could see the pro duelist petting the furry white puppy affectionately. His amethyst orbs gazed up to the woman that consumed the bulk of his thoughts. "Carly, love...,"

"How was your flight?" She asked, as their lips met for a quick peck.

"Fine. It's just really distracting when you're wearing that nightgown...," He responded, letting his fingers run through her dark, curly locks.

She couldn't help but giggle. "I knew it might."

"God, you are beautiful." He whispered huskily, leaving gentle kisses along her jaw line.

She barely let out a moan before he scooped her up in his arms and heading for their bedroom; knowing of all the things she knew they would be getting into.

xXx

Aki had looked up at the glass science facility. She was getting a good look at the building that a familiar young researcher worked in. She was surprised by the phone call she had received from him a few days prior to now, wanting to talk to her about something. Though it was her day off, she made sure she looked presentable. Her dark, magenta locks were straightened while she sported a navy blue, lace Diane von Furstenberg dress and black pumps. She walked into the building and noticed a bunch of people with either suits or lab coats, but it was mostly lab coats.

The first place Aki spotted was the concierge desk. "Hello, ummm, where can I find Mr. Fudo's office?"

"Do you have an appointment with Dr. Fudo?" The secretary asked, not once looking up from her computer.

Aki knew just how to counteract the apparent attitude coming from the older woman. "As a matter of fact, I do. I was asked personally by him to meet him in his office at noon. It would be a shame if I never arrived."

When the lady looked up, she realized just who she was talking to. "Oh, you're Ms. Aki. Yes, he's expecting you. Just take the elevator to the fifth floor, and his office is in the east wing."

"Thank you." Aki gave her the best fake smile, before taking her leave. It wasn't the first time that Aki had gone through that with other women. For some reason, anytime Aki had to deal with older women they would be really rude to her because they felt inferior since she was young and quite successful. It wasn't like she went around flaunting that she was a doctor and that she could afford a nice house, car, and other luxuries.

_I'm a humble person and I don't make an effort to make anyone feel inferior, _She thought, approaching a sign that held plaques of the names of people high up and where their offices were located. The first name she spotted was Yusei's, whose office was to right of the elevator. She followed it all the way down until she found his office at the very end of the hallway.

Aki took a few deep breaths and knocked on the door. She quickly straightened out her dress and flipped her locks away from her face.

"Come in."

Her delicate hand gripped the door knob before pushing the door open to reveal Yusei looking up from his computer; straight into her light brown eyes. He had to admit; anything that she managed to dress herself in made her all the more gorgeous and accentuated her figure. She had natural curves in all the right places, but she still remained slender and fit.

"Hi!" She greeted, snapping him out of his thoughts once again.

"Oh, ummm, hello. I know you're probably wondering why I called you here." He took off his reading glasses.

Aki crossed her legs delicately upon sitting in one of the plush chairs in front of his desk. "Yeah a little bit. I feel like I'm in high school all over again with the whole office setting."

"Well, Crow is at my place recovering from a hangover." He got up from his chair and leaned against the edge of the desk, "Listen, I know I hurt your feelings the last time we saw each other."

"It's okay, Yusei. I know that you-" Aki started, before stopping herself from interrupting.

He let out a small sigh before continuing. "No, it was wrong for me to say what I felt in the manner that I did. To make it up to you, I wanted to know if you wanted to go to the Neo Domino Symphony Orchestra performance this weekend?"

Aki blinked a few times before absorbing the fact that the man she had a crush on since she was sixteen was asking her out on a date. "Yusei, I'd love to go out with you."

Now it was his turn to be surprised as well. "Great. I'll pick you up at six."

"Sounds great. Well, I have some errands to run before I have to work tomorrow. It was good seeing you." She gave him a warm smile, just before giving him a hug.

His arms automatically moved to embrace her delicate frame. He had to resist letting his hands wander to feel her curvy hips and round butt. Just the thoughts of doing so made him swell up; feeling his pants tighten.

_I've gotta get a hold of myself_, He thought, still holding her.

As Aki embraced him, there was part of her that didn't want to let him go. It was just like it was years ago; she fit perfectly in his arms and the apparent attraction for each other remained intact. When she felt him letting go of him, the temperature in the room grew cold. "I'll see you Saturday."

"Yeah, I'll see you later." He muttered, as she turned to the door. Once the door shut, his body went cold just as hers did.

* * *

><p>After a long day of practice runs with his team, Rua finally arrived home. He headed upstairs to go to his room, but he couldn't help but pass by his baby sister rummaging through a bed full of different outfits and shoes. Though he knew he should be in bed resting, he couldn't help but stop and wander into Ruka's room.<p>

"Hey, how was practice?" She asked, holding up a deep purple dress up to her frame.

Rua continued to walk slowly into her room. "It was tiring like always. May I ask why a third of your closet is all over your bed?"

"Oh...ummm, I have a date Saturday night. Tenpei is taking me to the new exhibit at the art museum." She told him, shifting to another outfit.

The tired and hungry older sibling couldn't believe the words that just came out of his sister's mouth: _Tenpei, date, and Saturday night_ were all the words he heard in her one sentence.

"So wait a minute...you...and my _best friend_ are going out Saturday night?" Rua couldn't help but snicker at that.

Ruka was a little confused by her brother's repetition. "Yes, that's what I just said."

He let out a loud laugh. "You're kidding, right? This is Tenpei we're talking about. You haven't given him the time of day since we were four years old."

"No, I'm not kidding. And besides, I thought you didn't care who I dated anymore?" She raised a brow, crossing her arms.

"I don't, it's just...," Rua started, looking out the window before she cut him off.

"Just what? Look, I know you're looking out for me, but it's Tenpei! He wouldn't hurt a fly. He's just taking me out for a few hours, and that's all!" Ruka exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

"You don't understand, Ruka. He's been crushing on you since we were kids and his feelings are going to be crushed if you lead him on. I'd know; he spends time talking about you every time we hang out." Rua explained, trying to be patient.

"I don't intend to hurt his feelings, Rua, so can we stop this conversation?" She asked politely, trying her best to keep her voice down.

The older twin let out a sigh and shook his head. "Fine. I won't bother you about the subject any longer. All I ask is that you don't break his heart, please."

Before she could say another word, he headed back to his room to finally get some rest. He never believed in meddling with Ruka's love life (not that she had one to begin with), but this time it was different since it involved Tenpei. They had been friends practically from birth and as good of a guy that Tenpei, Rua was going to ensure that he would be a true best friend and not let him suffer heartache.

xXx

"So you guys are going to see the orchestra tomorrow?" Carly asked, sitting on Aki's queen sized bed, watching her rummage through her closet.

"Yeah, and I have no idea what to wear...I mean, I know the attire for going orchestra, but I'm not sure if I should wear a black dress or this purple one." Aki sighed, plopping herself on the plushy chair between her bed and vanity.

"I'd go with purple since you know everyone wears black." Carly answered, honestly.

"Speaking of purple, how did Jack like that lavender nightie?" Aki asked, waiting for the details.

Carly merely giggled. "It worked like a charm. I knew I had him when I curled my hair."

"It's funny how he was so mixed up about his feelings for you...then he comes back and is madly in to you." Aki smiled, marveling at how lucky the brunette truly was.

The brunette smiled to herself as well. "Yeah, I really am fortunate. I had no idea that he cared for me so much until he came back home a few years back. Now it's like, he'll come home from a tournament or something and the first thing he wants to do is be with me. No guy has ever done that for me."

"I hope he puts a ring on it soon. He's getting up there in age and I know you want a family with him." From the tone of her voice, Carly knew that she was kidding around.

"I do, but I want us to both be ready for that. Getting married is a big thing," Carly explained, messing with her scarf, "Okay, we're going to stop talking about me. Why won't you and Yusei get together already?"

"We're getting together this weekend. What do you mean?" Aki raised a brow with curiosity.

"Aki...you know what I mean. You guys need to start dating already. You've both been through everything together and you both legitimately care about each other. So what's holding you back from getting him?" Carly questioned, trying to get to the bottom of the situation.

Aki let out a sigh. "I really don't know honestly. I know for a fact that I love him, ever since the incident with the Dark Signers I've always loved him."

"If that's the case, you've got to go after him before some other girl snatches him away from you." Carly mentioned, gently.

At the sound of that comment, Aki couldn't help but feel a bit angered. For some reason, she thought of Sherry Leblanc whenever she imagined another girl with Yusei. The magenta haired doctor felt that the blonde had always been secretly trying to steal Yusei from her back during the WRGP tournament.

_And after all these years, I still can't stand her...for whatever reason, _She thought, shaking the thought from her head. "You're right. I do need to do something before that were to happen."

"Great! Now, tomorrow is going to come...and you're going to look hot for your date with Yusei...and then he could possibly take you to his place where he rips every stitch of clothing and make sweet...," Carly started, before Aki decided it was a good time to cut her off.

"I think I get it, Carly. God, what have you and Jack been doing that get's you so worked up?" Aki was still in disbelief that Carly, who used to be horrified at the idea of having sex, was all of a sudden so open about it. Not that Aki was freaked out by sex, but she didn't make an effort to talk about it all the time.

"Sorry, it's just that after my first time with Jack, I guess I'm more open about sex than I thought I'd be." Carly blushed as she realized that she got a little carried away.

"So I see." Aki laughed, while continuing to rummage through her closet for something to wear. Despite the worrying, she was looking forward to going out with Yusei. This would be the first time they spent time together in years.

_I'm just hoping this goes well._

xXx

After waiting for the week to finally be over, Ruka was just about finished getting ready for her date with Tenpei. She put the last touches to her makeup before giving herself a once over. Her aqua hair was styled into nice loose waves. She wore a leopard print blouse with a thick pair of leggings, and black ankle booties. After the conversation she had with Rua a few days prior, she thought a lot about how she felt about Tenpei. In actuality, she had grown to have feelings for him within the last few years. The summer before they returned to Neo Domino City, she and Tenpei had grown close that summer. They spent a lot of time getting to know each other and eventually, Ruka had a crush on him; but she never allowed her older sibling to see right through her.

_There's a lot that Rua doesn't know. It's not like I don't want to tell him, I just think the fact that if Tenpei and I get together, he's going to be too overprotective, _She thought, checking the time on her phone. Tenpei would be arriving to their house soon, so she grabbed her purse and beige pea coat and headed downstairs. At the same time she shut the door to her room, Rua was beginning to walk out of his. He stared at how elegantly his sister was dressed. No matter what anyone said about her, he knew that Ruka had a pretty awesome sense of style and fashion and could make any outfit look good.

"You look really nice." He muttered, awkwardly.

Ruka couldn't help but smile. "It's okay, Rua. I know you're not looking forward to Tenpei and me going out."

The older sibling immediately felt guilty for the argument a few days prior. "That's not true. I never had a problem. I guess I've just been looking out for you and Tenpei for so long I got overprotective. I should trust your judgment more often than I do, since you're right most of the time."

"I know you were just looking out for me, but you know I would never intentionally hurt Tenpei. I like him too much to do that." Ruka told him, fidgeting with her hair.

"Soooo, not that I want to involve myself in whatever love life you have, but you have a thing for Tenpei?" Rua asked, getting a small nod from her, "Since when?"

She couldn't help but blush at the memory. "The summer before we moved back home. I just didn't want to tell you because you would freak out."

"Like I said, sis, I don't care who you date anymore. If it had to be anyone, I'm kind of glad it's Tenpei because at least I can trust him." Rua said, heading off into the kitchen.

Ruka momentarily stopped laughing when she heard the doorbell ring. Her eyes gazed into her brother's, almost as if she were silently asking for his approval.

When he looked into her eyes, Rua could remember all the times when they had grown up together. All the difficult things that his baby sister had been through; look where she was now. He smiled and gave her a nod, silently giving her his blessing.

"Hi!" She greeted, looking at Tenpei's outfit; a button down flannel shirt, dark denim jeans, a black pair of Toms, and a black leather jacket since the weather was still a bit chilly. "Well, look very sharp."

"Thanks. You look absolutely incredible," He took in how well she looked in her outfit, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go." Ruka began walking to his car. As Tenpei turned around, he felt a strong hand on his shoulder, knowing that it was Rua's.

"I trust you with her. Take good care of her, please." Rua told him, sternly.

"I love her, man. I'd never dream of letting anything happen to her." Tenpei told him, quickly following behind the beautiful bluenette to a night of wonderful memories to come.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, this was a nice little chapter here! Again I really do apologize for making you guys wait. Someone very close to me passed away recently, so I've been pretty down for the last few months or so. I realized after a while I shouldn't give up on life, and that the person I lost wouldn't want me to be upset. I really want to take the time to thank you guys for staying with me and being patient, faithful readers and supporters and you guys make it worthwhile to keep writing, so thank you all so much!<strong>

**Cherries**


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